Fads
by jtnlflash
Summary: Love gossip has gotten very popular at the naval base. Who's in love with who? That's the question 's plaguing Aircraft Carrier Kaga as everybody keeps pestering her. Honestly, this better just be a passing fad or she won't have any room to relax. Like-Love Collection: Kaga Centric


DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kantai Collection or any characters outside of my OCs. The actual ships, histories, anything belonging to the game and anime, etc. are all NOT my property. I'm just a fan of Kancolle as a gamer and doujin/anime fan, the ships as a history buff, and of the fandom for the chance to write these stories.

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(1)

Fads are popular trends that people get into passionately for short bursts of time. From girls falling for visual kei bands to housewives following health booms of drinking the newest soy lent green to boys posing like loons at inappropriate places and times, there are all kinds of fads that pop up wherever there are people. Even in a Japanese naval base populated by admirals and ship girls, fads emerged.

 _Do you have somebody that you like?_

If one were to ask what was the current 'in' thing at the naval base, that question was probably what was being discussed. Time and again, the topic would be brought up. As a result of Kongou's constant vocal declarations of 'Burning Love' and the introduction of Marriage (temp) from headquarters, the development of romance had become the hot topic at their base of operations.

The question of who-loves-who coupled with talk of confessions and love letters circulated as the gossip bug spread. It was not just romance with the admiral either. Inter-base romance amongst the fleet girls seemed to grow with each passing day: Ooi and Kitakami's close-knit relationship, Tatsuta's constant teasing of her sister ship Tenryuu, the mysterious affairs of the base's staff Ooyodo and Akashi… Aoba's articles so far had been obvious enough. It was only inevitable that _their_ relationship would be explored. In fact, it was a surprise she hadn't come sooner.

"So then, Kaga-san. Tell us how you feel about Akagi-san," the (tabloid) reporter Aoba blocked her path by standing in the center of the mess hall entrance. It was early morning and Kaga, as the secretary ship for the day, was one of the few present for breakfast before dawn. She had been ambushed the moment she finished her meal.

"Even if you ask me when nobody is around, I will still wholeheartedly decline to respond." The answer was instantaneous and without any blind spots, as expected of the super-serious standard aircraft carrier of the famous First Carrier Division.

"But Kaga-san, everyone's dying to know! From your life as roommates to what happened in this picture I took of you two being intimate in front of the arsenal, the people want to know!"

Kaga remained silent. She made no sudden moves as Aoba revealed a picture, photographic evidence of what looked to be Akagi hugging her. She said and did nothing. She simply stared straight into the heavy cruiser girl's eyes. To be so noisy so early in the morning, Aoba truly lacked common decency. The early morning ambush had been the fourth of Aoba's attempts to uncover Kaga's relationship with Akagi. It would also be Aoba's fourth failure in attempting to convince the standard carrier girl to answer her questions. Kaga's expressionless face staring right through her did a number on the base's journalist.

"P-Please!" Aoba's bit her lip to force herself to continue. "The destroyer girls are all curious about you two. Even before I took that shot, you two were so close, those girls were already begging me for an investigation. I promise I won't ask any dirty questions. I learned that lesson last week when I was interviewing Ooi-san and she torpedoed a hole in the sick bay. A simple interview is all I ask."

"I refuse."

"Bu-"

"No matter how many times you ask me, I refuse. Even if you were left heavily damaged while entering night battle against a full fleet of elite enemy battleships, I refuse."

That was a little too specific of a scenario for Aoba. As with her previous attempts, she was not going to get Kaga to respond. Knowing when to pull back was a smart idea for the reporter.

"Fine. I'll stop for today," groaned Aoba. She turned to walk away into the hallway, mumbling her grievances. "I can't even get a response from Akagi-san since she only says 'If Kaga-san won't say anything…' whenever I ask… Maybe the girls will settle for some SuzuKuma… Honestly, reporting what the people want is tough…"

Kaga stood silent as the figure of the heavy cruiser shrank into the distance. She had succeeded in getting the reporter to back down and leave. Honestly, to continue asking her day in and day out, the newshound Aoba was persistent. It was understandable that reporter types had to chase after whatever was popular while it was still a big thing, but trying to uncover the personal lives of other ship girls was tactless. Kaga paused and took a moment to close her eyes and pinch the bridge of her nose. The irritation which had been welling up was released in a single action. Believing she could now officially begin her day, the carrier girl moved on. She hadn't the time to deal with the press. She had her duties to perform.

(2)

Working as the secretary ship to the admiral was a duty given to only a few ships. Assisting the admiral in filling out the necessary paperwork, reviewing documents, planning operations, and completing any other sort of miscellaneous work required a fair level of trust and patience between the two of them. Trust, having been built through countless sorties and operations, was actually a plentiful resource. Patience, on the other hand, may have been difficult for the admiral that day.

"Here are today's expedition reports."

"… Thank you, Kaga… Can you hand me the documents over there?"

"Of course."

"Thanks…"

"You're welcome."

"…"

"…"

"… This isn't right…"

Kaga had seen those words coming. She was not _unaware_ of how uncomfortable the admiral was with the silence. She knew her own personality well enough to understand she was less lively than many of the other girls at the base. Although the admiral appointed her as the secretary ship quite often, he couldn't possibly get used to her stoic nature.

At least, that was what she thought.

The man shook his head and stood up. He scratched the back of his head, running his hand through his bushy hair. Rather than sound nervous, however, the man spoke with a serious tone, something the standard carrier girl picked up as peculiar. "Kaga, are you feeling stressed?"

Kaga's eyebrow shot up a millimeter. While not perceivable to most, the reaction of her surprise was noticed by her commanding officer, just like the stress he believed she was feeling.

"As expected of the admiral. I had thought I was concealing that emotion rather well."

"No no no no. Like hell that's concealing," the admiral's hand extended instinctively into a manzai pose in response to Kaga's words. He just couldn't stop himself from acting the straight man.

"Hm?" Kaga turned her head up to look the man in the eyes. The admiral retreated. It took him a moment to recall what he was going to say.

"Um… Sorry… I mean, you know full well how hard it is to read your face. I spent weeks cooperating with Akagi just to figure out your general emotions," he pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperated by Kaga's nonchalance. "How do I put this…? It's like the air's heavy around you. I'm not wrong, am I? You're stressed."

"You are correct," the stoic girl affirmed the man's suspicions. "I have been under some minor stress; however, it is of little concern in the performance of my duties."

The admiral shook his head. "Look, even I know of the gossip spreading around the base. Aoba and her readers want a scoop on you and Akagi, right? They've been after any juicy detail they can get. Even my secretary rotation's getting called into question. Really, this whole love-talk thing that's hotter than Mutsu's gun turrets must be bothering you."

Remaining expressionless, the aircraft carrier archer focused her gaze on the admiral. To be not only observant but also caring, he truly was a leader. Although he was often easily discouraged by his various clumsy errors, he was nonetheless a leader worthy of his rank and title.

"If you want me to, I could order Aoba to stop," the admiral offered. His eyes darted from left to right. Kaga's arrow-like gaze made him nervous as it did to most everyone. "I've been letting that girl do whatever she wants since she's under my superior's jurisdiction, but I could definitely step in and file a complaint to get her to cease and desist for your sake… I mean… As an admiral, I have to look out for my troops…"

Kaga's mouth curved upward into what could vaguely be described as a smile. It was hardly noticeable however, and the girl's observant commanding officer was too nervous to look her in the eye and see it.

"There is no need for your intervention," she responded. "The trouble is only a misunderstanding over my own and Akagi-san's behavior."

"Misunderstanding? So you and Akagi really are together?"

Upon hearing that question, the standard carrier began to glare. The admiral, too, had fallen victim to the latest trend that had been plaguing her daily routine.

"… No need to give me that look. I mean when the fleet admiral assigned Akagi here, you rushed on over…," the admiral's voice drifted off under his subordinate's pressure. He had to force a heavy cough in order to continue speaking. "Ahem! My apologies, I know when not to pry, and I'm definitely not going to take part in this girls' hobby that's been spreading lately."

Despite his words, Kaga's glare persisted.

"S-sorry. I guess you were more stressed than I thought. Let me make it up to you. I'll give you the rest of the day off," the man apologized with what could be called a small bribe.

Kaga's response to the admiral's 'present' was blunt. "I cannot. As a secretary ship, it is my duty to assist you. I cannot allow my own whims to be of higher priority than the naval base."

"It's fine," he assured her. "We're not doing much in terms of operations today anyways. I'll have Hiryuu come help out in your place. I'd ask Ryuujou, but we have a rule about on-duty manzai after last time. Well, if that's not enough, the newbie a few doors down shouldn't be able to say no to her superior officer, and a few of her destroyers have been concerned about you as well. Just take the day off. With the press… well… pressuring you, you'll need the break."

"Even so, I-"

"Kaga," this time, the admiral was more firm. He walked around from his desk and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. Kaga uncomfortably twitched at the physical contact. "Consider this an order. Find some way to relax."

She was still reluctant, but seeing her superior officer's serious expression as he tried to look out for her well-being convinced Kaga to accept. Shaking the man off and taking a step back, she nodded. She bowed in gratitude. "Then I will take you up on that offer. Thank you, Rear Admiral."

The man grinned. "Good. Then you're dismissed."

(3)

"Kaga-san, are you and Akagi-san lovers?"

"Oh my, someone's moving quickly. Heading home to Akagi, Kaga?"

"Yo, Kaga! What's this rumor I've been hearing about an affair?"

Although having been granted the day off, Kaga admittedly had no plans for what to do when given the chance. The only thing on her mind at that time was to avoid the inquiring eyes of her fellow ship girls and keep away from the gossip and teasing.

As Kaga walked through the courtyard and toward the carrier dormitory, she couldn't help but realize that the admiral may have been right about needing some time to relax. Rumors over two of the base's strongest carriers had already existed even before Aoba's candid photos, but, because of the 'Love Boom' within the base, the curious inquisitors became a lot less subtle with their questions.

It was a nuisance. Scandalous romance was not something that concerned her nor did it have anything to do with her relationship with Akagi. They were the First Carrier Division and they were partners. That was all that mattered to Kaga. She was satisfied just knowing that Akagi believed the two of them were equals and could rely on one another.

"Kaga-san! Kaga-san!" Speaking of Akagi, a familiar voice caught the standard carrier girl's attention, but although she heard it, she did not turn her head. She merely glanced in the direction of the voice.

"Akagi-san. Have you finished practice for today?"

Kaga slowed her pace so her comrade and roommate could catch up. When Akagi did, they were directly in front of the dormitory where Akagi stepped forward to open the door for the two of them to enter.

"Yes. I'm surprised to see you, though. Aren't you supposed to be working as the secretary ship today?"

"The admiral granted me the rest of the day off. He was rather adamant about the matter."

"Really? That's not fair. I'm still expected for practice drills later against the neighboring office's admiral. I'm pouting, Kaga-san. I really am."

"I'm glad to see you so energetic today, Akagi-san."

"I'm not. Not at all, Kaga-san." Akagi continued to pout playfully as they walked up the stairs, passing the drunken light carrier Jun'you who was passed out in-between floors. The sight was normal to them, so the two ignored it, continuing to their room on the second floor which Kaga unlocked. They walked in, closing the door shut and locking it to guarantee their privacy. The instant the lock was secured, Akagi spoke up again. "Oh, you know? Furutaka-san and Kako-san were asking me about our relationship in Aoba-san's place since she apparently collapsed from lack of sleep. I guess being a slave to the media is stressful for Aoba-san too since all the destroyers want her to investigate."

Kaga moved to her personal desk and gently pulled out the chair, careful not to scuff up the floor from dragging it. She sat down, shaking her head from what she had heard. "Honestly, those girls…"

Akagi rummaged through the drawers of her closet and took out a box. Inside were various cookies she had received from the other fleet girls the day before. "The destroyer girls all just want to be maidens in love, and the heavy cruiser press is just doing their job to give them what they want. I think it's adorable."

"As adorable as it may be, it is a bother for those of us being investigated. I pray this is merely a passing trend."

"So long as nothing gets out of hand, I suppose we can let those kids have some fun," Akagi calmly accepted the issue and reached into her cookie box. "It isn't as though we have to answer to those reporter girls anyways."

Kaga accepted one of the treats her roommate took out. The two of them bit down on the white chocolate cookies with vigor. "You say that, Akagi-san, but I'm certain you're tired of being pestered as well. Those girls are quite persistent."

"Don't tell me you're getting weak-hearted already, Kaga-san," Akagi took a seat in seiza on a cushion and looked over at her friend. "You didn't tell her of our relationship, did you?"

"Such jokes are of poor taste. Even the admiral said something similar earlier."

"Eh? Admiral Ushijima did? That's bad. Hiryuu-san said his manzai routine with the vice admiral took last place at the 'End of Year Comedy Act'. If I make jokes like he does…," the standard carrier girl couldn't resist poking fun at the admiral. She stifled her laughter as quickly as she could so she could stand up and move behind Kaga. She hugged the seated girl tightly. "Well that's fine. I'm happy our partnership is close enough to get others' attention."

At those words, Kaga closed her eyes and swallowed another cookie. She wished she had a drink to chase it down with. "You shouldn't say something that can be taken the wrong way so easily, Akagi-san. The way you are speaking will make it difficult for others to determine if you are being honest or simply joking."

Upon hearing her roommate's seriously spoken advice, Akagi knew it would a good idea to stop. But even though stopping was a good idea, the red archer girl could not resist brushing her hand across Kaga's left ear and whispering into it. "But I am serious, you know?"

Kaga remained silent. Her hand slowly moved to touch her roommate's arm which had wrapped itself around her neck. It was curious to her: physical contact. There were only two people she knew who willingly invaded Kaga's personal space. The first was Zuikaku, who admittedly, only invaded her personal space during a physical altercation. The second was Akagi, whose actions suggested far more intimacy than Kaga would ever be used to. While they had been friends since the very beginning, such behavior was just…

"This may be the reason why romantic rumors have been popping up about the two of us, Akagi-san", she warned. The photograph Aoba had revealed to her earlier was also a result of her partner's inclinations toward skin ship.

Akagi let go of her friend slowly and retreated back to her cookie box.

"My apologies if that may be the case, Kaga-san," the red archer spoke. "Though in my defense, you've always been so taciturn, a little skinship was the only way I could get you to respond. Roughhousing or close contact were the only methods that could move you when we were younger."

"Is that really the case…?"

Certainly, Kaga wasn't used to physical contact, but was she really that inclined to respond to it? Then again, she had relented to taking the day off AFTER the admiral had placed his hand on her shoulder. Had there been any other similar incidents that she simply wasn't aware of? For instance…

Kaga was lucky Akagi decided to change the subject before her circulating thoughts consumed her. The red archer leaned back from her seiza position into a more casual seating pose and said, "Well, in any case, now that you have the day off, how are you going to make use of it?"

Having her concentration disturbed by the question, Kaga took a moment to regain her thoughts. "… I … hadn't thought about it."

A sigh escaped the blue archer's roommate. "You should. It's not every day you get a chance to relax. It's not good if you're going to spend all day cooped up in here."

"That much I understand. Maybe I should go…" Kaga agreed. She turned her head toward window, hoping the scenery would decide for her.

It did, though not in any enjoyable way.

 _Sigh._

"I believe there is a good reason for _both_ of us to not be here all day, Akagi-san," Kaga glanced at Akagi and stood up. She approached the window slowly and silently. Then, as quickly as she could, the carrier girl swung it open, smacking the camera off the long wooden stick it was attached to.

"U-Uwah! Aoba-senpai's camera!"

"I told you this would happen…"

Having broken the peeping camera which had been moving close to the window of their second floor room in the carrier dormitory, Kaga looked down to see two dark haired destroyer girls in white and blue uniform. She recognized them immediately.

"Fubuki, Hatsuyuki, shall I alert your commanding officer?" the standard carrier threatened.

"B-Busted. We should've listened to Nagatsuki…."

"There goes our Mamiya ticket. Let's retreat!"

Grabbing her sister ship's, Hatsuyuki's, hand, Fubuki fled with her accomplice, leaving behind the broken camera which had landed and shattered into several dozen pieces on the concrete below. Kaga watched and allowed the two girls to escape, seeing them stumble along the way, nearly pushing a passerby Inazuma into their other sister, Miyuki, who was returning from training.

Kaga looked down from the window, noticing her roommate had moved right beside her as well, holding her now empty box of cookies in her hands. Kaga stared at remains of the broken camera with her expressionless face. It wasn't just the heavy cruisers they had to be wary about. The destroyer girls were just as willing to invade their privacy. Maybe it wasn't a good decision to allow those girls to do as they pleased.

"Maybe I should take a walk," Kaga shook her head.

"That sounds like a good idea," agreed Akagi, who also decided to head off to her training.

(4)

Although she had said she would take one, a walk wasn't exactly what Kaga chose to calm her nerves. She walked there, certainly, but for most part, she was seated.

"Kaga-san… You know I haven't opened up shop yet," reminded the light carrier Houshou who was polishing glasses behind the counter. "And drinking when it's still daylight is improper of you."

"I apologize for the inconvenience," Kaga took a sip of her glass of shochu on the rocks. "I thought taking refuge in the store of everyone's respected Houshou-sensei would be effective in keeping out of the public eye."

Houshou maintained the smile she had on her face as she gently placed a plate of onigiri beside the standard carrier. Although she had advised Kaga against drinking, she was still generous enough to offer the ship girl a snack to go with it. She even poured the ship girl a second glass after she finished her first. "I suppose even a former member of the fleet admiral's division has things she can't handle."

"Such words apply to you as much as me, Houshou-sensei. You are my _senior_ in those regards, after all."

Kaga's expressionless face and Houshou's unwavering smile clashed briefly as the two carriers pushed each other's buttons. It was a clear display of how well they knew each other.

"Love gossip, was it?" even someone as traditional as Houshou was aware of the topic the younger ship girls had been so focused on. "Let's see… Among the carriers, Chiyoda-san's affections are obvious enough… There also have been rumors cropping up over Hiryuu-san ever since the moon-viewing we had… And I suppose there has been some gossip over myself as well, though they're completely untrue."

"Hmm…" Kaga chose not to speak, not only because it was impolite to do so while eating the handmade rice balls she had been given but also because she mentally pondered what rumors had been circulating around Houshou. She sipped her drink and listened silently.

"Well, when it comes to relationships buzzing around you… Without a doubt, the one that stands out the most would be the one between you and Akagi-san," Houshou stated what everybody within the naval base believed to be true. "You two are so close that everyone seems to believe you two are a couple."

Kaga swirled her half empty drink around. She stared at the moving liquid whose flow was in as much disarray as her mind was. "Such baseless rumors will only trouble Akagi-san, and those girls are taking their investigations too far."

Houshou removed the empty plate the instant Kaga picked up the last onigiri. She remained silent as she allowed the girl to finish eating the rice ball. When she did, the light carrier asked, "Then why don't you simply give them a response?"

Kaga picked up her glass and drank down the alcohol without the slightest sign of intoxication showing on her face. Her liquor tolerance was high, which was why her answer came from a relatively sober mind.

"I'm no liar, Houshou-sensei. I don't have a response to give that will satisfy those girls. To be frank, I'm not adept at understanding what those kids are so curious of. Romance is a matter which I've not considered. We are in a war. If I let myself be taken by such frivolous matters, all it will amount to will be complicated emotions which will interfere with our duty."

Houshou poured her comrade another glass. "I understand your point. For troops entering the heat of battle, any distraction will lead to defeat. To be weighed down by attachment on the battlefield may affect our performance. So long as the war against the Abyssal Fleet continues, we are soldiers."

"Indeed," Kaga was glad to hear her friend's agreement. She downed her glass in a single breath again.

"That being said, Kaga-san, I hope you do keep in mind that you are as much a girl as they are."

Houshou ended her sentence the instant Kaga's glass returned to its coaster. From her twitching eyebrow, she knew she had hit a nerve with her phrasing. Before Kaga could speak, the light carrier interrupted by pouring her another glass. "We're ship girls. Not ships. Though we may have memories of our namesakes' histories, the 'we' that exist now are more than just vessels and weapons."

Kaga stared into her drink. Her head was starting to throb, but she was certain it wasn't the alcohol's fault. A sigh escaped her lips. "I believe I've heard something similar before."

"Those girls in the 5th Carrier Division couldn't quite hold their liquor one night. It left such an impact, I couldn't forget it. Their manner of thinking is quite admirable, I must admit."

Zuikaku was the first name that ran through Kaga's mind. Almost reflexively, the standard carrier's hand moved toward her forehead. It throbbed like an old wound.

The veteran aircraft carrier smiled gently as took away Kaga's finished plate of onigiri. "It appears as though you've heard something similar from them as well."

"Heard may be an understatement. Those kids can be very… upfront with their opinions."

"Kaga-san, I understand we are in a war, but that viewpoint is something we should indeed consider. As important as it is for us to remain composed in battle, even we ship girls need something outside of combat to balance out our current lifestyle. We are not always going to be on duty,. If we are forever soldiers, what will happen to us after the war is over? There is nothing wrong with trying to obtain some normalcy in our lives when we can."

The archer girl could not argue the logic Houshou possessed, but she was still reluctant to accept it. "… And that normalcy, in this case… is love gossip and romance?"

"Whatever helps. Whatever works."

Kaga sighed. She was glad to have a drink within arm's reach.

"Houshou-sensei, I am already content knowing I have comrades who are concerned about me," admitted the stoic archer. "Asking for more would be too much. Besides that, romance between girls…"

"I'm not asking you to fall in love, Kaga-san, nor am I telling you to choose your partner from your friends here at the base," Houshou lectured her friend and guest. "This gossiping is merely a passing trend. You don't have to take their curiosity in your affairs so seriously. Those girls are all following fads because it is fun to them. Just be mindful that you shouldn't be fixated on simply being a soldier. A hobby would be good to keep your mind off the battlefield."

"Hm…," Kaga calmly sipped her liquor. "A hobby, is it? Well, mine certainly isn't gossip."

"It doesn't have to be. Aoba-san has her newsletter. The Kongou-class girls have their tea parties. And you and I both know Akagi-san likes to try out various eateries," Houshou listed a few suggestions. "Everybody has some sort of hobby, Kaga-san. What is yours?"

The standard carrier girl tapped her fingers on the counter. She pondered what she had a preference for the most throughout her life. Certainly at least one of them could qualify as a hobby.

She ate a fair amount like Akagi, but she couldn't consider that her pastime. She practiced archery often, but that was more for training than for sport. She occasionally read, but not enough to warrant note. One activity she used to take part in was…

"There is that one thing… You should be aware of it, Houshou-sensei."

"I do?" The proprietress of the store tilted her head, confused. It took her a full minute to recall just what hobby Kaga was referring to. Then she noticed that the girl was looking in a specific direction, toward a machine that stood in the corner of her store. "O-Oh my! You wouldn't happen to mean…"

A nod came with the ship girl's reply. "It's been some time since we've left the fleet admiral's command. Not many others at the base know what we all used to take part in every month."

Houshou's hand moved to cover her mouth to hide her widening smile. "Certainly, we've been holding back on such pleasures since we've been assigned here to maintain our reputation as former members of the fleet admiral's troops. I received that item from Taihou-san who sent it to me as a gift last month, but I haven't managed to find the time to install it yet."

Kaga raised her glass to the proprietress. "I will admit: much of my stress has accumulated because I haven't had that outlet; however, it would be unbecoming for a member of the 1st Carrier Division to show such a weakness."

"Well, I wouldn't call it a weakness, per say," commented Houshou. She reclaimed the empty glass from her conversation partner and watched as Kaga stood up and approached the machine they were referring to.

"Aoba would have a field day if she discovered it. That's enough of a weakness," the standard carrier girl reached down and pulled the long retractable power cord from the bottom of the device. She turned to Houshou with a hint of amusement in her voice. "Would you mind if I gave this a shot in private? Of course, you should take part as well."

Turning her head toward decorative 'Error Cat' clock on the wall behind her, Houshou noted the time. "There's still an hour and a half until I open."

"Is that a yes?"

The sound of the lock on the store door clicking into place was enough of an answer.

(5)

"Hm… That was quite a straightforward practice battle. I expected our training session to end late, but the sun's only just begun setting."

"Is that disappointment I'm hearing from you, Yahagi-chan? Don't tell me we have another Night Battle Maniac in the making."

"T-That's not the case, Soryuu-san! I was just… I mean… Um…"

"I'm just joking. A carrier like me is just glad to not to have to be useless during night time combat."

"That's because of our shining MVP here. Haruna, you can order whatever you want tonight. It'll be my treat."

"T-Thank you very much, Nagato-san."

"No need to be so nervous. You should be more confident in your performance. Nagatsuki, Akagi, you agree with me, don't you?"

"Indeed. Haruna-san, you were amazing today."

"You should be proud of your growth, Haruna-san. Now let's hurry. Houshou-sensei should be opening soon."

Walking through the central courtyard with the fleet of ship girls she had been partnered with, Akagi spoke with her comrades with a smile. After a swift practice battle victory, they were all famished and in a celebratory mood. After they had put away their combat equipment, Nagato led the pack with the blushing MVP Haruna nervously holding her hand followed by Soryuu and Yahagi who were teasing and being teased respectively. Filling up the rear were Nagatsuki and Akagi. Silence enveloped the two as their pace slowed.

"Akagi-san… Have my fellow destroyers been causing trouble for you and Kaga-san?" the Mutsuki-class destroyer asked bluntly.

"Is this about the Aoba Newsletter and their investigations?" Akagi turned her head toward the serious smaller ship girl. "The Fubuki-class girls were trying to sneak photos of our room earlier."

"Sneak? Photos? …Those girls…," the green haired girl ground her teeth. "I'm terribly sorry. Not all of us destroyers are into that love-talk, but those of us who are have been a little too overzealous about it. We're trying to calm them down, but please understand that they are only doing it out of admiration for you two."

Nagatsuki had stopped to bow the moment she apologized. Akagi, too, paused to witness it. A warm smile grew on her face knowing she and Kaga both had garnered the concern of others. She approached Nagatsuki and placed her hand on her head. Ruffling it gently, she bent down look her in the eye.

"There's nothing to apologize about. Love gossip is just another hobby those girls have picked up. I'm fine with letting them have their fun."

Embarrassed for having her head patted, Nagatsuki's eyes darted to the side. "B-But…"

"You don't have to take responsibility for those girls' actions. And you don't have to worry about Kaga-san either," Akagi winked. "This will be good character building for her. She's a strong and serious girl who should be able to take a bit of teasing from gossip and rumors. As the person who's spent to longest time with her since our days with the fleet admiral, I can guarantee you that."

Nagatsuki was still reluctant to have her attempts to take responsibility for her the girls in her ship class brushed off. "I can't accept that. To cause trouble to our carrier senpai and respected comrades is something we destroyers should not do. For them to keep circulating rumors and for them to continue pestering you both is inexcusable. As someone who has fought beside you, please allow me to assist in any way possible."

"I personally don't believe those rumors about us will last very long anyways." Akagi was unmoved by Nagatsuki's seriousness. She grabbed the destroyer girl's hand and began power walking with large swings of her arm to catch up with Nagato. "You'll see. The next big thing that gets popular in our base will blow this fad right out of the water."

"Akagi-san, why do you sound like you're enjoying th… Hm…?"

Nagatsuki drifted off as she spotted a large group in front of them. There were roughly a dozen ship girls with their ears pressed against the wall. They were whispering among themselves. Cries of "I can't hear", "Who's voice is that?", "I want to join in too!" could be picked up by Nagatsuki's ears.

Akagi approached the four who were at the back of the crowd and tapped her fellow carrier on the shoulder. "Soryuu-san, is there something going on at Houshou-sensei's."

"Ah…," Soryuu played with her hair nervously, unsure about how to answer the question. "I'm not entirely sure. The door's locked, but apparently there's something going on inside."

"Whatever it is, it's gotten everybody's attention," Yahagi placed her hand on her hip.

"Naka's up front saying something about a rival while the destroyers are all telling her to pipe down so they can listen," Nagato shared her gathered information with a straight face and her arms crossed. "My guess is Houshou finally set up that machine that's been gathering dust in the corner for a while now."

"Machine?" Nagatsuki tilted her head.

Akagi remained silent. She closed her eyes and focused on listening. As Nagato had said, there was something to listen to. Although the noise from the gathering crowd was loud, they were at least kind enough to whisper so that whatever was behind the locked door could be heard.

Akagi recognized the sound immediately.

"Karaoke," she realized. She recognized the singer and song as well. Even after a long hiatus, that girl was still as passionate about her singing as before.

Akagi was not the only one who placed the voice. Shortly after Akagi spoke the word, Soryuu came to the same realization. "Oh my. It's been a long time since I've heard this. Those two are unfair, having a private session without the rest of us. Hiryuu'd have a fit for not being invited. We need to reserve a night all to ourselves to get our karaoke kick."

"Now, now, Soryuu-san," Akagi covered her mouth to silence her giggles. "We're no longer at the central headquarters anymore, so we should learn to share. I'd love to try a duet with Shoukaku now that she's working with us."

"Ooh. I'd pay to hear that."

"We owe Taihou-san for sending us the machine… though I have a feeling it's simply because the fleet admiral's wife reprimanded him for not considering his position again."

"You don't go from a provisional marriage to an actual marriage without a few sacrifices," Soryuu tried holding back her laughter, but it hurt her sides. "If he didn't get any more since I left his command, this would be the eighth."

"I swear, all of our commanding officers are eccentric in some way," sighed Akagi with a smile. "Whether it's a love of karaoke machines or manzai, it's amazing how passionate those men are about their hobbies. It makes it hard to believe they're in such high positions."

"Oh, I know! It's so hard to believe."

Akagi's and Soryuu's conversation continued, and the words of the two former members of the fleet admiral's division caught the attention of the curious crowd of ship girls. Shifting their target from the door where music was seeping through, they surrounded the carriers along with their other comrades minus Yahagi who had slipped out in time.

"Eh? Akagi-san, Soryuu-san, you both sing? Shoukaku-san too?"

"I want to hear!"

"I want to go sing too! It sounds fun!"

Nagato and Haruna were both beginning to feel uncomfortable by the inquisitive girls closing in on them all. "Hey, Akagi. It's getting a little cramped over here. Don't you think?"

"Haruna is… alright… but everyone, please not so close."

Nagatsuki was also perturbed by the mob mentality that was going on. "Oy, Nenoh-… Ikazuchi, hold o- Et tu, Uzuki-nee?"

Akagi and Soryuu quieted down. Seeing their comrades so starry-eyed and curious was one thing, but things were going a bit overboard. Thankfully, one ship girl in their group had evaded the crowd to grab something she could use to help.

"Everybody settle down! Spread out and line up! Don't disrespect Houshou-san by mobbing in front of her store!"

Having a long wooden stick slice through the air, Akagi and the others spotted Yahagi who was putting to use some makeshift equipment to bring order to the crowd. Her air of authority combined with the big stick she was waving around got the trend followers to back away and follow orders.

"Good grief, you all," the light cruiser sighed, tapping her neck with her improvised weapon. "If you're so interested in karaoke, you should behave and wait until Houshou-san opens her store."

"Sorry, Yahagi~!" a voice in the now lined up crowd apologized. Yahagi could only shake her head and sigh when she recognized the speaker.

"Agano-nee…"

With room to breathe thanks to Yahagi's aid, Akagi and her training comrades spread out. Nagato let go of Haruna now that she had no need to further shield her from the pushy inquirers. Soryuu, Akagi, and Nagatsuki approached their friend in gratitude.

"Much appreciated, Yahagi-chan. It was getting a little hot in there," smiled Soryuu.

"It was nothing… is what'd I say, but it looks like we're going to need some more discipline in the base if people can cause such a disturbance. Maybe I should notify our superiors," the light cruiser relaxed her grip on her wooden stick but kept her eye on the crowd who was now returning to listening in to the singing still coming from inside, apparently oblivious to what had been happening outside. They were at least more civil about it now that somebody was watching them.

"Now now, at least let's not tell the vice admiral. That'd be going a bit far," Soryuu would have preferred one person not hear about incident. That would be the person who had been given explicit authority to dole out punishments as he pleased. The rest of the crowd as well as Haruna and Nagato were nodding their heads in agreement with her.

Akagi added her thoughts with her arms holding Nagatsuki close enough for the destroyer to feel discomfort from warmth from the woman's chest pressing on the back of her head. "Everybody seems to be in agreement about this. Let's not give the vice admiral any more work than he needs."

 _Sigh._

With the 1st Carrier Division's pride advising her, Yahagi had no choice but to relent. She did, however, she pointed her wooden stick one more time to convey one last message. "Fine, but make sure you all settle down from now on. It's all fun and games until somebody gets hurt."

"Yes, ma'am!" saluted everybody.

With that, Yahagi withdrew her weapon and let the other ship girls relax. She and Soryuu took to making small talk with their fellow practice battle comrades, but every now and then, she glanced over at the former mob of ship girls. They eventually broke out of their line and began chatting amongst themselves, but their voices never strayed from reasonable volume levels. They had calmed down, but it was obvious that their interest in karaoke was still piqued.

Akagi smiled and looked down at the green haired destroyer she was still holding close. She moved her hand toward the girl's hair and began playfully fulling it.

"Akagi-san?" Nagatsuki tilted her head back to try and see the carrier girl's face.

"Seeing all these girls get so excited over karaoke, it makes me wonder if they'll be remembering their love gossip addition any time soon," the aircraft carrier ship girl stifled her laughter.

Nagatsuki stared blankly at Akagi before she realized what she had meant. The conversations coming from the former mob were all about singing and music. There was no more mention of romance.

"… Fads are scary…," the green haired destroyer concluded. It was terrifying to think that her friends could so easily switch gears from one trend to another.

"I don't think you have to worry about Kaga-san and I being bothered about our relationship," Akagi continued to ruffle her friend's hair. It would become a bad habit to her if she continued doing so, but it was too hard to stop. "Though Kaga-san might still have a bit of trouble for a little longer…"

"Huh?" Nagatsuki struggled to break free from Akagi's grip and turned around to face her when she succeeded. "What do you mean by that?"

Akagi closed her eyes and listened to the music that was still playing. She paid no attention to the conversations and small talk everybody else was making and simply focused on the song. Honestly, how many times had her friend sung that song? She had a large repertoire to choose from, but she always chose to sing her favorite track at least five times in a single karaoke session. Today seemed to be no different. Akagi had heard the melody and the lyrics so many times now that she could pick out the song even among cannon fire.

Cape Kaga.

At last, the lock on the door to Houshou's eatery was rattling open. The proprietress in question had most likely noticed that she forgot about the time and rushed to let in her customers. All the while, the singing voice of another aircraft carrier was continuing to passionately belt out the lyrics of the chorus. Knowing her style of singing, Kaga would not take notice until the last note was played. It was unavoidable. Kaga's hobby was going to become the next big thing. There was only one thing that Akagi could do knowing full well what would unfold. Bracing herself for the coming events, she opened her mouth to wish the girl her best.

"Kaga-san, good luck when that door opens."

* * *

 _Kancolle Kai and general Kancolle are fun. I can't get enough of Kamikaze's outfit. You can probably guess where all my free time went just from those lines alone. Actually I've been slowly integrating myself as a working member of society, so that's why it's been really slow. Sorry. In any case, I've been listening Kaga Misaki on repeat and one other song (there's a hint in the story so extra credit for anybody who picks it out), and this story is stand alone but does have some connections to the other carrier stories in my like-love collection._

 _~Richi_


End file.
